Iran Economy Under Strain: A new report from El País paints a grim picture of everyday life in Iran as war-linked shocks and sanctions pressure households—workers are forced into informal, low-paid gigs just to stay afloat, with disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz worsening food, housing, jobs and basic living conditions. UAE–France Business Push: The UAE and France are deepening tourism and SME cooperation, citing 840,000 French visitors to the UAE in 2025 and a sharp rise in French firms registered in the country; talks also include training and UN Tourism-linked programmes. Bahrain Startup Boom: Bahrain’s startup ecosystem value jumped 759% to $1.6bn, with the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026 placing it among top MENA performers—an AI-native cluster and R&D engine boost for founders and investors. Saudi SME Financing: SME Bank, Aramco Taleed and Manafa launched streamlined, Sharia-compliant SME financing worth about SAR 1.5bn ($400m) over five years, targeting working capital, invoices, payroll and purchase orders. Pakistan–Iran Trade Acceleration: Pakistan and Iran agreed to fast-track a border SEZ and expand economic integration, aiming to lift bilateral trade to $10bn as sanctions ease. SME Growth via Loyalty Tech (Saudi): HungerStation’s HRewards marks three years, reporting 9m+ orders bought via loyalty points in the past year and continued support for 50,000+ vendors across 100+ cities. SME Skills for Tourism: The Pacific Tourism Organisation launched a six-month Success Guide Series to help tourism SMEs with resilience, funding, negotiation and route planning. Digital Payments Funding (MENA): Fasset raised $51m to expand its financial network across emerging markets, aiming to make cross-border access easier for small businesses and freelancers.